SUNNYVALE / 'He turned around and just floored it and hit them again,' witness says / Family of 4 on walk hit twice by driver -- 2 still in hospital

Ryan Kim, Chronicle Staff Writer

Published 4:00 am, Friday, February 11, 2005

Photo: Courtesy Of Sunnyvale Department

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Police photo of suspect in 2/9/05 attempted murder case. Courtesy of Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety

Police photo of suspect in 2/9/05 attempted murder case. Courtesy of Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety

Photo: Courtesy Of Sunnyvale Department

SUNNYVALE / 'He turned around and just floored it and hit them again,' witness says / Family of 4 on walk hit twice by driver -- 2 still in hospital

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When Ngai Fung Fong allegedly steered his car off a Sunnyvale road and hit a family of four out for a walk, witnesses weren't sure it wasn't some bizarre accident. When the Sunnyvale man allegedly doubled back and plowed into the family a second time, there was little doubt it was intentional, witnesses said Thursday.

"I just couldn't believe what I saw," said Tim Warfield, 55, of Sunnyvale. "You want to give people the benefit of the doubt. But, nope. He turned around and just floored it and hit them again."

Police have made little progress in identifying why Fong, 37, allegedly twice aimed his car at the young Sunnyvale family Wednesday afternoon, sending all four of them to the hospital. Officials say there is no relationship between Fong and the family. Two of the unidentified victims, the father and his 18-month-old daughter, were able to walk out of a local hospital Wednesday night. The man's 5-year-old son remains in serious but stable condition, and his wife was held for observation, authorities said.

Witnesses described a frantic scene played out in a quiet residential area Wednesday, bystanders rushing to give aid while the driver continued to zoom back and forth.

Police said Fong left a condominium a block away on the 1000 block of East Evelyn Terrace shortly before 1 p.m. after the woman he was having a relationship with called officers to report a case of domestic violence.

As he drove his small light-colored sedan west on Evelyn Avenue at Red Oak Drive, he suddenly veered onto the south sidewalk and plowed into the family, pushing two of the children under a Nissan sport utility vehicle parked on a residential driveway, authorities said.

Jon Meehan, a maintenance worker at a neighboring condominium complex, ran out and saw the father pull his limp 5-year-old son from under the Nissan; his 18-month-old daughter remained trapped underneath. Meehan said he saw Fong pull out of the driveway and drive east only to turn around and pass the accident scene.

Meehan chased on foot, yelling for the driver to stop while trying to get his license plate number. He said the driver turned around again and briefly veered at a truck before heading toward Meehan, forcing him to leap out of the way.

"He looked me dead in the face, put it in gear and floored it toward me, and that's when I made the decision, 'This is wrong, I'm out of here,' " said Meehan, who suffered two rib fractures and ligament damage to his arm when he fell to the ground.

Warfield said the family and bystanders were still in a daze trying to assess the injuries when the driver plowed through the crowd a second time. He said Fong delivered a glancing blow with the side of his car to the father, who was holding his 18-month-old daughter.

"I saw (the father's) hand on the hood as he tried to push off, and he was still holding the baby," Warfield said.

Fong traveled a short distance down Evelyn and was arrested by police officers. He remains in Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon as well as domestic violence and false imprisonment from the earlier incident. He is scheduled to be arraigned Monday.

A search of court records in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties found no criminal history for Fong.

Investigators are also checking into claims that Fong may have tried to carjack a vehicle before being arrested.